MS sufferer in court over cannabis plants

A woman with multiple sclerosis who was arrested after her private "dispensary" of cannabis plants was targeted by drug thieves was given a conditional discharge by magistrates yesterday.

Karin Grevis, a grandmother and professional translator who smoked cannabis for pain relief, called for an official amnesty for other medical users after the hearing in Cambridge.

The court heard that her stock of more than 100 conservatory plants was entirely for personal use and would never have become an issue but for rumours in criminal circles. Word that the illegal class C drug was being cultivated at the 43-year-old Swiss national's cottage in Longstanton, nine miles from Cambridge, apparently spread and the plants were targeted by burglars while she was away.

Police discovered the remains of the hydroponic system and several banks of plants when a neighbour reported a broken window and suspected break-in in February.

The magistrates' chairman, Stephen Papworth, told Grevis: "We don't consider there was any intention to make financial profit. We clearly understand the issues relating to your medical condition but we have to put that to one side in coming to our decision about the proper sentence."

Monica Lentin, defending, said that smoking her home-grown cannabis once an hour every day had provided the only relief the translator could find. She had consulted doctors, tried other pain relievers and searched textbooks in vain. Since her arrest, she had given up growing the drug and was facing constant pain.

Grevis, who limped into court with the help of a stick, said that cannabis gave her "100% relief" and she had always preferred to grow her own, rather than risk involvement with dealers. She said: "What can I do now? The government should either make cannabis available on the National Health Service or give people like me some sort of amnesty."